Universal 1611: verb-patient agreement ⇒ verb-agent agreement

Universal 1611: verb-patient agreement ⇒ verb-agent agreement

Original

All languages with verb-patient agreement, regardless of type, also have verb agreement with the agent as well.

Standardized

IF there is verb agreement with patient, THEN there is verb agreement with agent, regardless of alignment type.

Keywords

verb agreement, patient, agent, alignment

Domain

syntax, inflection

Type

implication

Status

achronic

Quality

statistical

Basis

30-language sample: 11 SOV languages (Kiowa (Kiowa-Tanoan), Burmese (Burmese-Lolo), Quechua (Andean), Hindi (Indic, IE), Diyari (Karnic, Pama-Nyungan), Pengo (Dravidian), Kanuri (Saharan), Basque (isolate), Turkish (Turkic), Japanese (Japanese-Ryukyuan), and Mende (Mande, Niger-Congo)); 13 SVO languages: Yoruba (Defoid, Niger-Congo), Thai (Kam-Thai), Greek (Hellenic, IE), Italian, Romanian (both Romance, IE), Guaraní (Tupi), Finnish (Uralic), Norwegian (Germanic, IE), Malay (Sundic, Western Malayo-Polynesian), Swahili (Central Eastern Bantu, Niger-Congo), Fulani (Atlantic, Niger-Congo), Serbocroatian (Slavic, IE), and Modern Hebrew (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic); 6 V-initial languages: Welsh (Celtic, IE), Maori (Oceanic, Eastern Malayo-Polynesian), Malagasy (Barito, Western Malayo-Polynesian), Papago (Uto-Aztecan), Maya (Mayan), and Classical Arabic (Semitic, Afro-Asiatic).

Source

Foster & Hofling 1987: 480

Counterexamples